Chapter 5

You decided to spare them. Your conscience shackles your thought of murdering someone who just saved your life. But then again what are they trying to tie up and kill? Curious, you decided to investigate. You walk up to the front door, and as soon as you get there, you hear a series of clucking at a distance. You turn to your left, where the clucking is coming from, you saw Dimi is holding two hens with their legs tied up with rope. Upon seeing you she smiles and greets you: “Good morning my Lord.” “Good morning.” You smile back. “Here! Father decided that we should feast to honor your arrival.” Dimi says while presenting the hens at you. You felt honored, as hens are often prized for their eggs and won’t be slaughtered for food unless during a grand celebration. “You are too kind.” You smile in appreciation. “Please wait inside, while my father and I preparing the food,” Dimi says graciously. “Thank you.” You nod in gratitude and head inside, the farmer is seated at the open hearth. Upon seeing you, he stands up, walks toward you, and holds your upper arm: “Good morning Lord. How’s your sleep? I’m afraid you won’t get used to sleeping in my cellar.” “I’m fine. Thanks for letting me stay.” The farmer passionately pull you into his house: “Come! Come, my Lord! Make yourself at home!” Coerced by his hospitality, you walk in and seat down by the open hearth. “Please wait for a moment. Dimi and I will be back shortly.”

So it's hens they are trying to tie up and kill, not you. You feel relief, had you acted on impulse, you would have killed your savior. After a while, the farmer and Dimi are back with the hens skinned, gutted, salted, and herbed. The farmer skewers the hens with a branch and then sets it up on the open hearth while Dimi pokes the charcoal with a branch. A cluster of spark sprinkles out from the smoldering hearth and fire begins to sprouts and grows into a small hill of flame.

While the farmer spins the skewered hens, the sudden prospect of uncertainty creeps up on you. Just yesterday, life seems to be so definite and questionless. At this time of the day, you'd have breakfast with your family. You'd joke with your siblings and parents. The smiles of your parents...... The laughter of your siblings...... They are gone…… What should you do without them……? A drop of tear sneaks out from your eye. You look down and away from the farmer and Dimi to hide your teardrop. But the hearth, the fire, the gush of heat, the cracking of charcoal, bring out the fateful moment: the portcullis breaks away from the gate, the blood, the limbs, the huge puddle of blood, the dismembered soldiers, and then your father...... Duke Melios! His damn smile! His treachery! He will pay! A sudden jerk jolts you up from your raging daydream of vengeance. “Are you alright my Lord?” You see Dimi is seated beside you holding your shoulder looking concerned. “I’m…… I’m fine.” You struggled to reveal as little as possible. “We were asking you about the hens but you just remain in silence.” The farmer said. “It smells nice. Could you please take a look at this?” You try to change the topic while handing him the visual novel you found in his cellar. The farmer takes it and upon initial glance, a smile appears between his ears. "Ah...... That's Dimi's favorite story. While she was a little girl, she used to sneak into my cellar at night to steal cheese. Then she’ll read the story while eating cheese in the cellar and ended up falling asleep with a spoiled cheese on one hand, the story page on the other. Ha!!!" The farmer cracks up, while Dimi is all blushed up while withdrawing herself from eye contact. "Why do you ask?" The farmer asked. "Because every Grand Master Knight carries an object fused with their justice essence. If I can find his remain, I may be able to uncover this object of righteousness, which will in turn helps me avenge my family." You elaborate with a stern stare. "But my Lord, they have been searching the remain for over hundred of years to no avail. What makes you think you can succeed?" The farmer asked in confusion. "It's my only hope of avenging my family. I have to try." You said sternly. Dimi and her father look at each other in silence. "Alright my Lord. We'll help you in any way we can." The farmer says. "Many thanks." You replied.

The farmer graciously gives one hen to you as breakfast while order Dimi to pack the other one into an earthenware for your journey along with some cheese, bread, and some water on a pack mule. After finish eating the hen, you thank Dimi and her father profusely for their generosity before setting off. You get on the mule, before departing, you turn around and salute Dimi and her father, as a final gesture of appreciation, then only you take off. The mule carries you, slowly and steadily, into the unknown, while Dimi and her father watching from afar. Although you lost your family yesterday, there are others who'll take care of you as well as your family does. Touched by their kindness, a drop of tear rolls out, but you have to hold your tears, for your adventure has just begun.

You travel upstream along the Blessen River for several hours before your stomach is growling from starvation. You decided to stop for a rest, you tie your mule near a tree and intend to eat the delicious hen Dimi and her father prepared for you. You untie the earthenware and open the lid. The drool-inducing spicy aroma fills your nasal cavity. Just as you are about to stuff the hen into your mouth, you hear a long, miserable shriek. You turn your head around trying to locate its origin. There it’s again, the long and painful shriek sounded like some sort of bird of prey. You follow the shriek and discover a juvenile golden eagle lying on the ground shivering. A golden eagle is a majestic creature known for its courage. While fully grown, it can spawn a wing as long as two and a half meters with royal golden plumage and can soar at the height of 11,000 meters. It has inconceivably sharp eyesight and it’s able to spot a prey from such altitude. It'll swoop down with such incredible speed that almost nothing can escape its talons. During ancient times, your ancestors worship the golden eagles and depict it in their totem. Over the course of time, such depiction evolves into a coat of arm that signifies the Aetum family. Look like the golden eagle in front of you had suffered some hardships during its maiden flight and had been besieged by cold and starvation alike. You are holding a hen, that's what the eagle feed on. What should you do? Do you honor the last vestige of your family by giving the delicious hen to the eagle? Or do you honor yourself instead and ignore the eagle?

Save the eagle - skip to Warrior Chapter 11

Ignore the eagle - skip to Warrior Chapter 12